Experimentation on zoo animals is illegal. Kitra lives with three blood relatives, including her father. The zoo wanted to prevent in-breeding and the great apes generally respond to many pharmaceuticals the same as humans do. Some drugs used to treat human heart disease also are used on gorillas, for example.

Fiscal emergency is the most severe. No. 2 is fiscal watch. Until September, when the law changed, emergency and watch were the only steps. Now caution is an option for the auditors, falling below emergency and watch in severity.

The story was assigned to me, to examine whether or not South Euclid was at risk of a large judgement or settlement such as Mayfield Heights had to pay several years ago after a 14-year fight between a develope and that city. We found that zoning can still be challenged in court, whether passed by city council or referendum. The key words there are "can be," because such a challenge, in the form of a lawsuit by the developer does not mean the court will go his way. We also found that if such a suit succeeded, it is unlikely South Euclid would have to pay millions of dollars the way Mayfield Heights did. What triggered the story assignment was a remark by the developer to another Plain Dealer reporter, in August, when he said he was considereing going ahead with the development at the time, and would view the zoning as grandfathered in if the commercial zoning were repealed. He has since decided not to start, but has given no indication of what he would do after the election. Given his August statement to my colleague, the editors were curious about the scope of his options in light of past zoing cases.

Thanks for pointing out the correct chronology. First Interstate acquired the South Euclid parcel in December when it was zoned residential, and City Council zoned it commerical this summer. But, though the developer has chosen to wait for the vote, there is nothing to stop First Interstate from starting now. Further, if voters repeal the commerical zoning, the developer could still go to court in an effort to resintate the commercial designation.

CV-92-229140 is the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas case number. It is captioned Michael A Shemo Co Trustee et al vs. Mayfield Heights. Our most comprehensive story was published 12/7/2003, and an 8/4/2006 story covered the $3 million settlement in the developers' favor.

Actually, that's not what I wrote. He could sue, and if successful, the probable result would be for a court to reinstate the commercial zoning designaton. The unlikley reslt would be a court decision that South Euclid would have to pay millions of dollars the way Mayfield Heights after it preempted a development.

We had a reporter on site at the May 25 city council meeting who observed the dialogue between citizens and council members. Though I have not looked, the sign-in sheets -- public records -- are still avaialble and, I am told, show that most of the people speaking against Oakwood Commons were from Cleveland Heights, while most of the supporters were South Euclid residents.

I'll take the word of my colleagure, but if you would care to check those records and find that I am in error, please alert me.

Hegel, I'm a Plain Dealer reporter trying to reach union representatives for state corrections officers for a story that has nothing to do with McCafferty. If you'd care to email me, I'll tell you what the story concerns. I am at jewinger@plaind.com. Or my direct line is 216 999-3905. I'm at the office today, but in and out.

Thanks for commenting, but a few points of information. The National Zoo's Elephant Trails exhibit and the Metroparks' African Elephant Crossing were both begun in 2008. The National Zoo's project is scheduled for completion in 2013; the one here is set to open in two months. The Metroparks' 5-acre exhibit cost $25 million, half covered by the Cleveland Zoologicial Society. The National Zoo's 4-acre project is expected to cost an estimated $52 million, some covered by federal grants and some by donations.

As to the veterinary hosptial here, it cost close to $9 million and half of that came from direct gifts or from the Zoological Society. Though not a formal exhibit, parts of it are open to the public.

You are right about the improbability of the Metroparks Zoo recalling the giraffes born there. Most accredited zoos don't buy and sell very many animals; they lend, borrow, swap or give and receive -- the idea being that they don't want to create a market for exotic animals. Likewise, the Omaha Zoo admits there's a reasonable chance that Shenga might stay here.

Dave, I've known you for a long time, and you know well enough that I have a great deal of respect for your work -- and have said so publicly. I also respect your right to your opinion. But ours differ on Dorothy Fuldheim and "pithy" is not a term I would apply during the time I was exposed to her commentary. As far as Paisley and Parsley are concerned, the episode itself is a mere footnote. However, I was, in effect, called a liar in a piece that was not even written by the person who purportedly wrote it -- a rather intriguing and ironic use of an anchorman to front for someone else's work.

But you did not write that, and if you care to hold this discussion to Dorothy's opinions, my complaint is that she was one of only six Cleveland broadcasters paid in 6 figures in the early 1980's, and the commentary I heard from her was, at best, what you could get in any neighborhood tavern for free. I consider that a waste of resources, and a waste of valuable air time.

Let’s start with the fact that J. Lee Bailey, formerly of WEWS, WKYC, the Illuminating Co and Centerior Energy, wrote all or most of the guest column defending Dorothy Fuldheim and attributed to Ted Henry.
That said, I am certain that all 49 signatories knew her, loved and admired her, and maintain a high opinion of her to this day. Therefore, the guest column accurately reflects their sentiments and views – which, incidentally, are shared by many people.
They may only shape and choose their opinions as they see fit, but not their facts.
For the record, I reported the "Rev. Ian Parsley" episode in 1981 during my brief tenure as a TV critic. As memory serves, the gaffe came while Dorothy Fuldheim was at the anchor desk in studio, either commenting on her trip or setting up some video. Of course the field team that accompanied her to Northern Ireland - which Mr. Bailey cites - would have no memory of it. It did not happen with them.
It was also around the time, quite possibly as a result of this incident, that I learned the station no longer let Fuldheim do her commentaries live. She sat at the anchor desk for the opening shot with the anchor team. Her commentary that would air later in the show was taped earlier in the day while she was wearing the same clothes. The station did this because it could not control her. That's why I thought it all the more inexcusable for them not to re-tape the segment.
At the time, I criticized Channel 5 for staging what amounted to a cheap publicity stunt on the back of a frail old woman by sending her to Northern Ireland. Her work began appearing on air and in the Cleveland Press just as the May sweeps were dawning that year.
No one from Channel 5 challenged a single fact that I stated on the Parsley episode in 1981, nor did they challenge or deny my assertion that she was taped. Had they been able to demonstrate that I was in error, they would not have hesitated – as indeed, they never hesitated to lobby this newspaper to have me removed from the critic’s chair.
I stand by all of the work I have done at this newspaper during the past 33 years, which is one of the reasons I put my name on it. The other reason the name goes up there is because it’s my work. Here we do not have a tradition of rip-and-read journalism and ghost writing – which is why we have always been local TV’s greatest content provider, however uncredited we might be.
--James Ewinger

Great column, Mikey. I'm not a big baseball fan but have always felt there was something transcendent about it, something that elevated it above other sports and maybe even completely out of the realm of sports.

Then there's the fact that some of the best sports writing is on this very game, and Americans are sometimes no more poignant and poetic than when they comment on this game.

Actually, the orignal cost was to be $470,000 for the 62 acres -- about $7,500 an acre. The park system got $25,000 knocked off because it had to replace the cap on an abandoned oil well, and had to remove stockpiled utility poles. A $333,000 state grant covered most of the sale. The parks are to pay about $189,000 -- $111,000 for the land and $78,000 for the clean-up. Costs and avialble grant money will vary with each acquisition, and some are donated outright. In 2009, the parks paid out about $400,000 for land, but received the gift of $800,000 worth of land.

The Ohio Revised Code spells out that the probate judge -- or presiding probate judge in our case -- shall appoint the park board. That goes all the way back to 1917, when the enabling legislation was passed in Columbus. Not taking a position here, just stating a fact.
--Jim Ewinger

Thank you for your observation and the link. Though I looked at it, I had no need to, because I have no reason to doubt part of what you say.

But I must take issue with several points you made.

First, according to nalpdirectory, among SS&D associates here, more are women than men. Further, the directory has a narrower definition of diversity than I would apply, and you appear to have a narrower definition than the directory: As I mentioned, nalp says there are more women than men among the associates. It does not note religious preferences and ethnicity is broken into very broad categories.

The story said Mr. Lewis was instrumental in changing a culture that was a "white-male-gentile bastion."

He did that, on his own, and he did not have to.

Does that law firm, or any of the other large ones here, or most of the largest employers, mirror the diversity of Cleveland, or Cuyahoga County, or Ohio or the U.S.?

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